Folding bed couch



A. KRA KAUER FOLDING BED coUcH March m @9% 2 sheets-sheet 1 File-d Aug. 28, 1941 l tti 3 INVENTDR .Abra/5am llrakazfer ATTORN EY March 19, i946.' A. KRAKAUER' I FOLDINGA BED coUGH Filed Augf- 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 alla?? jv/vzxomsv Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT lori-Itza FOLDING BED COlUCH Abraham Krakauer, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Kay Manufacturing Corporation, N. Y., a corporation of New York Brooklyn,

Application August 2s, 1941, serial No. 408,595

14 Claims.

be readily detached from the remainder of the couch when desired for purposes of cleaning or repair or movement from place to place.

The invention further contemplates the provision of means for automatically effecting. the` movement of certain parts such as a front panel cover member, a head-rest and supporting legs when the sections are unfolded into their bedforming positions.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a resilient mattress-supporting structure in each of the sectionsfree of cross bars or braces and drawn forwardly.

in such positions as might cause discomfort to the user or which might interfere with the yielding of the mattress-supporting parts.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. l is an enlarged vertical section of' my improved folding bed couchl showing the parts in their folded or collapsed positions and showing the upholsteredlback, seat and arms ofthe couch in dash-dot lines.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same showing the parts in their extended or bed-forming positions.v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view side of the same.v

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown by way of example, the back l0, side arms Il and removable cushions l2 may be upholstered in the usual manner with or without inner 0f One spring units, said cushions resting on the resi1- ient mattress-supporting part [3 of the front section I4 when the parts are collapsed and the article isl used as. a couch. The front section it i,

is hinged at its rear part to the front part of the preferably longer intermediate or central section l5 by means of the hinge members i6, Il, pivoted together as by means of the hinge pivot i8. The

rear section i9 is swingably suspended between 55 the crank bars 2l and the rear part of the' section l5, being pivoted at its front end as at 20 to the'section l5 and at its rear end beng'pivotally and detachably supported by the crank bar 2| for `movement about the pivot 22 whichxes one end of the crank bar to the plate 25. TheV section i9 is lthereby so mountedthat it moves forwardly into the horizontal position thereof shown in Fig. 2 and coplanar with the sections It and I5 when the latter sections areextended It isfto be noted that when the three sections are unfolded, a bed of full length and full doubleKY Width'may be obtained; adequately provided with mattress-supporting parts, a head-rest andl sup porting legs. The crank bar 2| is` duplicated at each end of the section |79y and serves the double purpose of normally maintaining the various sections gfolded in their seat-forming positions, and.

of controlling the movement of the sections intol and out of the bed-forming positions thereof. connect the bar 2l to the end rail of the section i9, anA L-shaped slot as 23 is madein said rail in which slot operates the pin 2450i the bar 2l.. When-said pin is in the rear part of the slot, it

serves asa pivot and constrains the corresponding end of the section I9- to swing aboutvv the fixed.y pivot 22 which joins the bar 2l to the fixed plate 25, secured tothe frame of the couch adjacent the arms l-I thereof by suitable means such. as the screws or bolts 26. The spring 2T, secured at one end to the plate 25v by the passage of. said springthrough the openingl 28 in a flange thereof, and secured at its other end Yto a suitable pin 2-9r on the bar 2l, serves to. maintain the basin the position thereof shownin Fig. 1y against the fixedstop 3U on the plate 25.. vThe section i9 is there by maintained in the substantially vertical,.but

somewhat rearwardly inclined position shown inV Fig. 1, the spring also tending to draw the. sec-- tions lll. andl5 rearwardly into andmaintain them `in their seat-forming positions.

When desired, however,A the pin'v 24 may easily be removed from its slot 23 to detach the sections completely from the bars r2l so that the sections may-be moved as a unitr to any` part ofv a roomif desired, forcleaning, repairing, painting, or the like4 without the necessity for the hanle of,Y

dling and'manipulation of the entire artic furniture, or for reaching thereinto.

The section I9. comprises a pair of angle iro members forming the end rails insaid section andY a. suitableresilient mattress-supporting partV not necessary Vto.lolefshownin detail nor described and .consisting .forlexampleef any well-'known member 49 is also secured to the hinge membez the rails 3|, the intermediate part of the member Y 32 being below the lowermost part of said rails to avoid interference with the resilient mattress. supporting structure suspended between the/horizontal lian-ges of the rails 3|. `Similarly, afbracf.

ing angle member 33 may be arranged in spaced-l relation lto the member 32 and similarlyfsecuredY to the rails 3| at its ends in a position suchethat it does not interfere with the mattress-supporting structure.

Tolimit the movement of the rear section I9` relatively tothe central section I 5 when the parts edt'ojrest on the horizontal ilange 31 of the rail 3| A when the parts are in their extended positions (see Figs. 2andf3). 7.

Secured to the'rails 3| of the central section I5 are the crossed legs 38 and 33 pivoted together as at 4l] and provided Awith suitable casters as 47 adapted to roll on the ioor.` Tlrieupper end of the leg 39 is pivoted to the rail 3| as at 4I, While the upper end of the leg 38 is provided with a pin 42 passing through the slot 43 of said rail 3| and'alsopassingthrough the lower end of the link 44.` f The pin 42 may vtherefore slide in the slot 43 to the limiting position shown in Fig. 2 when the parts'a're moved into their bed-forming positions and the legs 33 and'38 are extended.

The link 44 at its upper end isvpivoted to the hinge` member I6by means of the pivot 45. Consequently, when the hinge member IB is rotated aboutithe hinge pin lapin a clockwise direction, the pin 45 is swungabout said hinge pin also in a` clockwise direction to raise the link bar 44 and the pin 42 connected therewith and thereby to raise the section I5 bodily, the pin 42 at this time sliding in the slot 43. To transmit the weight of the section I4, as well as that of the cushion I2 and` the weight of the person sitting upon said cushions to the legs 38, 39 and thence to the floor and also for bracing purposes, an L-shaped angle member 46 is secured at the lower end of its Vvertical leg, as viewed in Fig. 1, to the rail 3| and at the right end of its horizontal leg to the hinge member I1. ASaid member 46 serves as a support foi-'the iixed kcaster 48 secured-to the L-shaped end bracing member 49 for the section I4, said member 4 9 being secured to the comparatively short angle member 50 Yat the frontpart (when extended) vof the section I4.` At Vthe right end of said section, Aasrviewed in Figi, the hinge member I6 is provided with a horizontal iiange to which the` resilient mattress-supporting structureA I3gis secured, said structure connecting andbeing stretched between the'hinge member |,6 and the angle member 50.` The rlghtend ofthe bracingn I6 so that the weight put upon the seat is transmitted from the section I4 to the member 43 and therefrom through the caster 48 to the member 46 of the section I5 and thence to the rails 3| and the legs 38 and 39 to the iioor. In the collapsed position of Fig. l, the sections I4 and I5 form the seat ofV the couch, the cushions I2gresting removably onlthe upper face of` thel resilientstructure I3, and the mattress being folded between said structure and the corresponding structure of the section I5.

It will beunderstood that when the section I4 is swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, toward its bed-forming position, the foldable leg 5I carried'by said section is automatically extended into thesubstantially upright position thereof-shown in Fig. 2. This is accomplished by thelink bar 52 pivoted at one end to the bar 44 as at 53, and at its other end pivoted to the end of the leg 5I as at 54. Said leg is in turn pivoted to the member 50 as at 55. When the section I4 is extended, the pivot 53 moves with-the hinge member I6 in a clockwise direction about the hinge pivot I8, causing the bar 52 to move toward the right, as viewed in Figs. l and `2, and causing the pivot 54 to movein aoounterelockwise' directionv to swing the leg'l about its pivot- 55 into its extended or operative' position.

Means are also provided to extend the head-rest 56 automatically on the extendingmovementof the section I4 above described. Said headre'st is' pivoted at one end as 5'I to the slide 58 operating in the groove 59 between the guide member-63 and the horizontal portionY 6I of the member 49, The link 62, connected' at one end by the pivot 61 to said slide and pivoted atlitsother end 63 to 'the'leg 5I on the opposite Vrside of the'pivotv r55 to that onrwhich the pivot 54 is arranged, transmits the movement of said leg to theislide 58, whereby the slide is moved toward the right,'as viewed in Fig. 2, when the section I4 is extended. The link 64, pivoted at itsKA end 65 to the 'head-rest and at its other end pivoted to the angle member 56 as at 66, controls the movement ofthe headported by theangle bracket 'II pivoted as at 'I2 to` the rail 3| of the section I5. A chain or other flexible member as I3 connectsthe panel tothe U-shaped bracing bar T4, which is secured at the top portion of its upright legs asjat I5loo se. ly to the hinge member i6. The bracing bar '14 consequently hangs by gravity in a vertical plane.

fromY its pivot I5 regardless of the positions fassumed by the various sections. In the folded o r collapsed positions of the section shown Fig. l, the pivot I5 is in its uppermost position and consequently the `bar 14 is also'in its uppermost p osition, thereby tensioning the chain13` and raising the panel IIIY about` its pivot I2 into its opera-j tive vertical position. When the section I4 is ex-1 Y tended, however, and the hinge member i6' is swung in a clockwise direction about its pivot, the bar 'I4 is lowered, thereby lowering the chain 13 and permitting the panel 'I0 to drop by gravity out of the way of the sections into the position shown in Fig. 2 as far as ispermitted by the bar I4 and chain 13.,

. ','o maintain thiiani'm in ascesi-ahve' posi: A

tion, a grooved latch'll is secured thereto and is provided with a groove 'I8 adapted removably to receive therein the edge of the fixed member 'I9 on the'couch arm II after th'e panelhas been raised at the end of the collapsing movement of the various sections. The panel cannot swing open until the section is rst raisedenough to remove the latch from its cooperating locking member 'I9 on the extending movement of the parts.

A suitable cross bar in the form of a pipe may be secured between the end angles 50 for use as a handle to manipulate the section I4, said bar serving also as a brace for the section, being arranged beneath the head-rest so that it does not interfere with the mattress or with the mattress-supporting structure.

In the normal collapsed or seat-forming positions of the parts, the crossed legs 38, 39 are collapsed, the pin 42 being at the extreme left end of the slot 43 (Fig. l) and the weight of the section I and of the parts resting thereon being transmitted to the floor on which the couch rests through the casters 4T. Said section l5 besides being lowered has also been moved as far as it will go toward the rear, thereby swinging the rear section I9 about the fixed pivot 22 under the control of the crank bar 2l assisted by the spring 2l. Said section I9 is therefore arranged well within the fixed back of the couch bed in a nearly vertical position and out of the way of the remaining seat-forming sections I4 and I5. Thespace between the mattress-supporting parts of the sections I4 and I5 is occupied by part of the folded mattress intended to lie on said supporting parts when the sections are extended, the remaining rear part of the mattress resting in an. inclined position against the upper surface of the section I9 in a manner which will be clear and hence need not be illustrated, nor further described. The engagement of the caster 48 of the end bracing member 49 with the end bracing member 46 maintains said sections I4 and I5 in their proper spaced relation and said members serving to transfer the weight put upon the seat cushions I2 to the section I5 and therethrough to the floor. The. panel 10 is in its section-concealing position, being locked therein by the engagement of the latch 'Il thereof with the xed locking member 19.

To remove all of the sections for cleaning or other purposes, the pin 24 need merely be removed from the slot 23, thereby freeing the section I9 and permitting all of the sections together with the panel 'l0 and the connecting parts and mattress to be removed from the frame bodily. The parts can be rolled back into place and the pin 24 reinserted into the slot 23 after the sections have been cleaned, repaired or inspected.

To convert or extend the sections into a bed, the cushions I 2 are first removed, whereafter the pipe handle at 'the front end of the section I4 is grasped and carried upwardly and forwardly to rotate the section I4 about its hinge pin I8, whereby the leg 5| and the head-rest 56 are automatically extended in the manner hereinbefore described and the panel 10 simultaneously released to drop by gravityabout its pivot. During the rotation of the section I4, it is also pulled forwardly, thereby not only to raise the section each of the sections is of substantially the same length as that of the frame, and since the combined width of said sections is substantially equal to the length of a bed, a bed of full length and full double width may readily be obtained with a suitable head-rest so that the head of the user is free of the fixed side arms and back usually found on a couch and the user consequently can get the benet of fresh circulating air.

To collapse theA couch from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. l,- the pipe handle at the front` end of the section I4 is grasped and raised while said section is rotated about the hinge pivot I8.

and at the same time pushed rearwardly. The leg 5I and head-rest are thereby automatically col lapsed and the section I4 folded in to the position shown in Fig. 1 resting on the section I5, the spring 21 aiding in the rearward movement of4 the parts in the collapsed positions thereof.

It will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple couch bed capable of being easily extended into an adequate full size bed with proper supports and head-rest without necessitating the removal of the mattress therefrom, but capable of being disconnected from the frame as a unit and moved from place to place when desired, and that I have lprovided a couch bed well designed to meet the requirements of practical use.

Whiley I have shown and described a specilc embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a folding bed couch, a plurality of sections eachcomprising a pair of parallel spaced end rails, and a resilient mattress-supporting structure suspended between the rails, the intermediate one of said sections being bodily movable, means pivotally connecting the front and rear of said sections to the intermediate section, collapsible means -for supporting the intermediate section, a foldable leg and a foldable head-rest on the front section, means operatively connecting' the leg. and head-rest to said collapsible means to extend and collapse the leg and head-rest automatically on the extension and collapse of said collapsible means, said connecting means including a slide at one end of and having an operative connection to the head-rest, a guide for the slide, and a link between the slide and the leg, and pivoted means for suspending the rear end `of the rear section for movement of said rear section toward and from a vertical position at the back of the bed couch.

2. In a folding bed couch having a xed frame comprising a back and sides, a central section, means for supporting said section for bodily movement parallel to itself, a front section hinged to the front part of the central section and fold` able thereupon to form a seatv therewith, a rear section hinged to thev rear part of the central section and swingable into the back into sub' stantially vertical position, a crank bar fixed at one end to the frame and having a pin at the other end thereof entering an L-shaped slot in the rear section and thereby permitting detachi ment and removal ofthe sections as a unit from the frame, a plate xed to a side of the frame and provided with a ilange having a perforation therein, and a spring having one end thereof passing through the perforation and having the `other end thereof xed to a part of the. crank irlv j maintaining-the ypin inthe slot and urgingfthe rearsection'rupwardly inail positions of 'saidrearsection, said jcrank bar and the hinged connection of the rear section ltolthe central section constituting the means controlling the movement ofthe. rear section into and out of the back.

3. Ina folding bed couch, a central section, a' front sectionY hinged to the front part of the central section, a rearsection hinged to the rear part of the central section, and adapted to be swungv into' and out of coplanar relatlonto' the central section, a xed plate in the back-.part of the bed couch, .a swingable bar pivoted to the plater at one end and having a pinand slot conf nection `at its other end tothe rear section, 1 whereby the rear section moves fromv a horizon-V tal toward a vertical position on .the downward' and rearward movementA of the centralsection, a spring fixed at one end tothe plate and. fixed at thelfother end to theV bar at apoint intermediate: the ends of the bar and urging the rear section upwardly in all positions o'f said rear section, and means for supporting the centralsection to move bodily parallel to itself fromits folded position in the couch to an unfolded position out of the couch and from its unfolded to its folded.

position. Y e 4. In a folding bed couch, a first seat-forming swingable section having. substantially parallel spaced end members, a resilient mattress-,Supa` porting structure suspended between said Vmembers, and a U-shaped bracingmemberhaving end parts* loosely pivoted to the end members, a sec-i ond seat-forming section, a hinge joining.. saidr sections whereby the rst section is swingable through approximately 180 on to the second section to form a seat support therewith, a front cover-panel looselyT pivoted to the second section and a chain connection between the bracing member and the panel to maintain said panel in a section covering position when the front section is in its seat-forming position, and to permit'said panel to drop when the first section is moved toward its bed-forming position.f

5. In -a folding bed couch, a pair of mattress-supportingsections each-having an .end spacing member, a hinge joining adjacent parts of the sections to permit the sections to be folded one on the other in a seat-supporting positiony with the 4spacing member of the upper section transmitting theweight on--the scatto the lower section, a cover-panel loosely pivoted to the lowerv section and concealing the front parts of the sections in the seat-forming position of the sections, a bracing barpivoted loosely to theupper section and a flexible connection between and op? eratively connecting the bar and the panel.

6. In a folding bed couch, a frame, a pair-of mattress-supporting sections each having-an end spacing member, a hinge joining adjacent parts of the sections to permit the sections to be folded one von the other in a Vseat-supporting position with the spacing member of the upperY section transmitting theweight on the seat to the lower section, aV cover-panel loosely pivotedto thelower y section and concealing the front parts of the sec-Y tions in the seat-forming position of the sections, a bracing bar pivoted loosely to the' upper section and a flexible connection between and operatively connecting the bar and the panel, a latch member on the panel and a cooperating -fixed latchA member on the frame normally and removably.v to, maintain the inglpositiomi f.; s

panel in its section-conceal--- i termediate the ends `of the cranksaid spring;` Y1. 11n. ay folding lbed couch having a front sec" tion and-:having a central section joined to the front; section by ahinge, anV end spacing member on the front section, a guide on the member hav.

'ingi afpartthereof spaced from the member to provide aguide slot, a slide movable in the slot and adapted'for connection to one point of ai,

f thirdY link pivoted at one. end to the leg on the other side ofA said pivot, a pair of crossed legs plv.;v

oted together and pivoted to the central section,V

and a;fourth link connected to one of the legs andiadaptedto be connected to the hinge, the

.other end of the third link being pivoted to the fourth Vlink adjacent the hinge, whereby swinging movement of the Viront section out of its seatformingf position operates the fourth link and therethroughV operates the third link and thereby extends said crossed legs, said head-rest and.

the V'folding leg simultaneously.

8.. Ina'folding bed couch, a front section swingable into a bed-forming position, a slide on said section, `guide means for the slide, a head-rest ,carrying the slide, a foldable leg pivoted to the section adjacent the head-rest, means for operating the slide to extend the head-rest and the leg on the swinging of said section into bed-forming position including'alink'pivoted to the leg, means 'for moving the link on the extension of said sectionk and a second link connected to the leg and to theslide, and a third link pivoted tothe headrest and to the section and controlling the movementof the head-rest on the movement of the slide. 'l A 9. In a folding bed couch, a pair of hinged sections swingable into vertical spaced'relation constituting ua seat-forming position thereof, means forV transmitting the weight on the upper section to the lower section andto a floor comprising a bracing member-'extending downwardly from the upper section, a caster extending downwardly from the member, a bracing member extending upwardly from the lower section and contacting said caster, and pivoted legs on each of said sections, Vthe legs on the lower section being crossed and 'pivoted to each other, a third section pivoted at its front-part to the rear one of said hinged sections, 'and al spring-pulled swingablc arm removably pivoted to the rear part of the third section and to a fixed part of the couch, said arm maintaining said third section substantially upright in the collapsed positions of said sections and suspendingthe rear part of the section in the extended ypositions thereof, said legs and spring urging the sections to complete the fol'd- 1o. rIn a folding bed couch, a frame, a foidabie combined bed and seat part comprising a central section, a front section hinged to the central section and constituting a seat support therewith` when folded on toand resting on the central section,rbracing'members' on said sections extending i toward each other when said sections are folded, a spacer member extending from one of the bracing members and arranged to rest on the other bracing member when said sections are folded 4thereby to transmit the weight of the front section to the central section, collapsible legs on said sections extensible to support the sections when the sections are extended into the bed-forming positions thereof, the legs of the central section supporting both of said sections when the sections are folded, a legless rear section hinged at its front end to the rear Dart of the central section, and a crank bar iixed at one end to the frame and at its other end removably connected to the rear part of the rear section by a pin operating in an open slot in the rear section and suspending said rear part in the bed-forming position of the rear section, whereby all of said sections are adapted for removal from the frame as a unit on the disconnection of the crank bar from the rear section.

11. In a folding bed couch having a frame including a xed back, a central section, means for supporting said section for bodily movement parallel to itself, a front section foldable upon the central section to form a seat therewith, a hinge connecting adjacent parts of said sections, said hinge comprising a pair of plates pivoted together at a point in upward spaced relation to the central section, a link pivoted at one end to one of the plates in spaced relation to the pivot of the hinge, said link being pivoted at its other end to the supporting means for said central section, a rear section hinged to the rear part of the central section and swingable into the back into substantially vertical position, and means for yield` ingly supporting the rear end of the rear section comprising' a crank bar iixed at one end to the frame and having a pin at the other end thereof entering an L-shaped slot in the rear section and thereby permitting detachment and removal of the sections as a unit from the frame and a spring fixed at one end to the frame and at the other end fixed to a point of the crank bar intermediate the ends of the bar, said spring maintaining the pin in the slot.

12. In a folding bed couch, a frame, a foldable combined bed and seat part comprising a rear section, a central section, a front section hinged to the central section and constituting a seat support therewith when folded on to the central section, collapsible legs on said central and front sections adapted to rest on a floor and extensible to support the central and front sections When the sections are extended into the bed-forming positions thereof, a crank bar fixed at one end to the frame and at its other end removably connected to the rear part of the rear section and suspending said rear part in the bed-forming position of the rear section, whereby all of said sections are ad-apted for removal from the frame as a unit on the disconnection of the crank bar from the rear section, and a spring fixed at one end to the frame at a point above the fixed end of the crank bar and at the other end fixed to -a point of the crank bar intermediate the ends of said crank bar, said legs and spring absorbing part of the shock resulting when the sections are partly collapsed and then control thereof by the user is lost, and also tending automatically to complete the folding and unfolding of the sections when manual folding and unfolding thereof has been initiated and partly carried out.

i3. In a folding bed couch, a front section, a'

central section hinged to the front section, a rst link pivoted at one end to the front section and pivoted at its other end to a head rest, a folding leg pivoted to the section, a second link pivoted at one end to the head rest and at its other end to the leg on one side `of the pivot for the leg, a third link pivoted at one end to the leg on the other side of said pivot, a pair of legs pivoted together and pivoted to the central section, and a fourth link between the legs and the front section, the other end of the third link being pivoted to the fourth link, whereby swinging movement of the front section out of its seat-forming position operates the fourth link and the third link and thereby extends the legs, the head rest and the folding leg simultaneously.

14. In a folding bed couch provided with a swingable head rest, a frame, a central section, means for supporting said section for movement in and out of the frame in a direction parallel to itself, said means being pivoted to the central section, a front section hinged to the front end of the central section, a rear section hinged to the rear end of the central section, a folding leg on the front section, and linkage connecting the sections to the supporting means, the leg and the head rest to extend the same and to collapse the same on swinging movement of the front section comprising a first link pivoted to the front section and to the head rest, a second link pivoted to the folding leg and to the head rest, a third link pivoted to the leg, and a fourth link pivoted to said supporting means and to .the front section and to the third link.

ABRAHAM KRAKAUER. 

